


View From The Shipwreck

by flowerfan



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: AU, Bartender!Steve, First Meeting, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 21:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18836971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerfan/pseuds/flowerfan
Summary: Danny Williams isn’t in a great place – he’s a reluctant transplant to Oahu and an outsider at HPD.  Former Navy SEAL Steve McGarrett isn’t doing much better, having suffered a career ending injury.  When Danny’s young daughter Grace wanders into Steve’s bar after getting lost on a school field trip, Danny is drawn to Steve, somewhat against his better judgement – he’s got enough on his plate.  He’s not exactly sure what Steve sees in him.  As they spend more time together, Danny learns how Steve’s  injury has changed his life in many ways, but not the most important ones.  As one thing leads to another, Danny realizes that things might be looking up after all.





	View From The Shipwreck

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to the mods at the H50 Big Bang for their dedication and work in organizing this challenge, and to the amazingly talented racoonsa (https://racoonsa.tumblr.com/) for the beautiful artwork that works so perfectly with this story - it's like she was inside my head and saw exactly what I imagined. Thanks also to my wonderful beta [perry_avenue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/perry_avenue/pseuds/perry_avenue).

“Detective Williams, was your daughter on some kind of school field trip this morning?”

The mention of Grace snaps Danny out of his case-file induced stupor, and he looks up from his desk. “Um, yes. She’s in first grade, they love field trips. Why?”

One of the other detectives holds a phone out to him. “Apparently she got a little lost. Right now she’s in a bar having a Shirley Temple. With extra pineapple.”

*****  
Danny doesn’t remember what the person he spoke to on the phone said to him except that Gracie was safe. He heads towards the Shipwreck Bar & Grill, where his precious, heart-attack inducing child landed after going walkabout in downtown Honolulu. He rants aloud all the way there as he drives with his lights flashing, cursing her teachers, her fancy private school, and the world in general for not taking better care of his kid when she’s out of his sight, which is far too often.

His GPS tells him he’s arrived even though there’s no bar around, and he double parks and runs down the street until he gets to the right place. Bursting inside, it takes him a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but he grabs the first person he sees and demands to know where Gracie is.

“Right over there,” the server directs, her voice calm, and Danny follows her gaze to where his daughter is sitting at a table by the window, a flower tucked behind her ear and a tall, dark haired man leaning close to her. Really close.

“What the hell are you doing,” Danny yells, striding over and almost yanking his daughter out of the chair.

“Danno!” Grace squeals. “Be careful, you’re gonna mess up my drawings.” Grace wiggles out of his hold and points to the table, where a group of colorfully drawn flowers now adorn the backs of round paper coasters. “Look, Mr. Steve let me use his sparkly pencils!”

“They’re Kono’s pencils,” the man says gruffly, and Danny forces himself to take a deep breath. The man stands up, leaning on the table with one hand and extending the other out to Danny. “You must be the Danno I’ve heard so much about.”

Danny’s not sure he really likes the sound of Grace’s name for him coming out of this guy’s mouth. He puts an arm around Grace, his hand tight on her narrow shoulder. He’s not willing to let go even if she’d rather not be held. Grace is looking up at him eagerly, and he realizes it’s his turn to talk. “Detective Danny Williams. Who are you, and what’s going on here?”

“Steve McGarrett. Your daughter wandered in, and since her class had already all gotten in their bus and moved on to their next stop-”

“The zoo,” Grace contributes. “I wanted to go to the zoo, I did, but then I saw Aka,” she points at a dark gray cat, perched regally in the window, “and I told Ms. Tricia where I was going, and she heard me, I know she heard me, and then she was gone-” Grace’s voice catches.

“That’s okay, monkey,” Danny soothes, crouching down to look at Grace, who is tearing up as she remembers getting lost. “We’ll talk about this later, for sure. But it’s all okay now.”

“I told the dispatcher she could stay here until you could come pick her up,” the man explains. “I hope that was okay.”

Danny scoops Grace up, and she digs her head into his shoulder. “I missed you, Danno,” she says, sniffling a little. “But the nice lady made me a fancy drink with extra pineapple.”

Danny sees the remains of the pink drink, complete with three purple paper umbrellas, a cherry, and several rings of pineapple, on the table where Grace had been sitting. “Guess it’s good I know what it takes to lure you into danger, we’re going to have a talk about that too,” Danny mutters.

“She was never in any danger,” the man – McGarrett - says, rather firmly, as the server comes over to stand next to him, her dark eyes concerned. “Kono and I took good care of her, and-”

“Hey, we understand, you were worried about your daughter,” Kono says gently. “We’re glad it all worked out. Grace, do you want to take your drawings home?” Kono quickly gathers the decorated coasters and gives them to Danny with a warm smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you both.”

Danny nods, “same, thanks,” and turns away from McGarrett’s glare. It’s only ten o’clock in the morning, and he’s got to figure out how to get Gracie where she belongs, and then go back to work. He doesn’t have to time make nice with the locals. 

*****  
It’s only later that night that Danny begins to regret his behavior. It’s bad enough that the other cops think he’s a jerk, he had to go and prove it by being an asshole to the people who essentially rescued his daughter from who knows what could have happened if she kept meandering along unsupervised. 

And it’s not every tall dark and handsome who would spend a half hour drawing flowers with a seven year old little girl. Even if the pencils weren’t his.

He has to admit, now, with the benefit of hindsight and several hours of trying and failing to go to sleep, that Steve McGarrett was pretty damn good looking. A little tired around the eyes, maybe, but those eyelashes…. That ink on those biceps, peeking out from under his t-shirt. And that smile… before Danny pissed him off, anyway. 

Danny turns over in bed and fluffs his pillow again, telling himself to forget it. He has enough to deal with at the moment without indulging in pointless crushes. There’s no room in his life for hot men, especially hot straight men who work in bars. He’s better off spending his time trying to figure out how to get along better at work, before he loses his job and winds up even worse off than he is now.

When thoughts of McGarrett are still haunting him a week later, however, he gives in and decides to do something about it. 

He braves the line at Leonard’s Bakery, and then drives back to the Shipwreck. Not a particularly Hawaiian name for a bar, Danny thinks to himself, and is almost soothed by it – he’s had enough of tropical themed tourist traps since he got to the island three months ago. 

When he gets there he stands just inside the door for a long moment, getting his bearings and letting his eyes adjust. The place reminds him of back home, all East coast nautical, with shiny varnished wood tables and ship’s wheel decorations. He makes his way to the bar and places the box of malasadas on the heavily polished surface. 

Unfortunately the huge man that comes over isn’t the bartender he was hoping to see. 

“Those for me?” the man asks. He’s got a bright yellow t-shirt on, with a logo that appears to have his face pasted on top of a shrimp.

“Uh, no, I was looking for Steve McGarrett?”

“Sorry, bro, just missed him.” The huge man pulls the box towards him and opens it up.

“Hey,” Danny knocks the man’s hand away. “I said they weren’t for you.”

“Kamekona, is something wrong?” Kono comes over, a wry smile on her face.

“This haole won’t share his malasadas. Says he wants to see McGarrett.”

“Steve should be back soon,” Kono says. “Want to sit down for a few minutes? I just made some coffee.”

Danny breathes out through his nose, telling himself to chill out. “Sure, that’d be good, thanks.”

Kono sits him in a booth along the back wall. It’s quiet in the bar, really too early for much of a crowd. The coffee Kono brings smells fantastic, and Danny lifts the heavy mug to his face and inhales deeply. Kono rests her hip against the table, and gives him a thoughtful look.

“I’m kind of surprised to see you back here. You didn’t seem too happy with us last week.”

“I may have jumped the gun. It wasn’t your fault Grace wandered off.” Danny rubs his forehead. “She’s met so many strangers since we came here, there’s always someone I don’t know…” He looks up at Kono. “She’s my daughter, I should be able to take care of her.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about Steve. No one could hurt Grace with him around.”

“Yeah, I guess bartenders see their share of shady characters.” They’re often pretty shady themselves, Danny thinks, but doesn’t say it.

Kono cocks her head at him. “I was thinking more of his experience as a Navy SEAL and on the governor’s Five-0 task force, but sure, bartenders are a pretty tough lot too.”

“A Navy SEAL?” Danny can’t even begin to process the rest of what Kono said.

“Yup.” Kono is grinning at Danny like she’s got an awesome story to tell, and fine, Danny likes stories. He’ll bite.

“Care to join me?” He angles his head towards the other seat.

Kono’s grin widens and she’s just sitting down in the booth when they hear a throat clearing. It’s McGarrett, eyebrows raised.

“Sorry, boss,” Kono says, and she jumps back up. But the look she shoots Danny as she gets back to work says she isn’t very sorry at all.

“Mind if I join you instead?” McGarrett asks. Before Danny has a chance to answer, McGarrett eases himself into the booth, leaning a cane against the seat. “Kamekona says you were looking for me.”

“He the big guy with the weird shrimp shirt?”

McGarrett laughs. “Yeah, that’s him. Runs the best shrimp truck on the island. Charges plenty for it, too. He takes a shift here now and then, says it keeps him in touch with an important market sector.”

“Whatever works, I suppose.” Danny slides the bakery box across the table. “These are for you. If you’d been easier to find, they’d still be hot.” 

Kono magically appears at Danny’s side to refill his coffee and put a full mug down on the table for McGarrett. “Steve doesn’t usually eat sweets.”

“What?” Danny asks. “These are like Hawaiian crack, everybody eats-”

“I think I can make an exception today,” McGarrett interrupts smoothly. He takes a malasada out of the box and bites into it, his eyes crinkling. 

Danny’s starting to get the feeling that McGarrett and Kono are a bit of a comedy team, and the joke is on him.

“Look, I just wanted to thank you for helping Gracie out last week, that’s all.” Danny tries not to focus too much on the way McGarrett licks the powdered sugar off his lips. He’s got nice lips, but that is entirely beside the point.

A faint smirk crosses McGarrett’s face, and he wipes his mouth with a napkin. “It was no trouble. She’s a sweet girl.”

“Yes, she is.”

“What brings you two to Hawaii?”

Danny bristles. Is it so obvious that he doesn’t belong here? “My ex’s new husband decided he liked it better than Jersey, and Rachel didn’t think it was important to stick around at home where I could see my baby more than twice a year. Took me months to get the job with HPD, but I came as soon as I could.” 

“Yeah, you said you’re a cop?”

“That a problem?”

“No, of course not.” McGarrett shifts in his seat, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “My dad was a cop.”

“Oh – I don’t think I’ve met-”

“He was killed six months ago.”

“Wow, that sucks,” Danny says, before he can form a more polite response. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah.” McGarrett rubs a hand on his thigh, pressing hard. “Kono’s a cop too,” he says, changing the subject. “Or she will be, in a few more weeks.”

“Three weeks and four days,” Kono sing-songs as she heads back over to the bar. “Not that anyone’s counting.”

“Good for you,” Danny calls back.

Just then the door chimes, and a group of patrons come in, chattering loudly.

“I’d better get back to work,” McGarrett says. 

“Okay,” Danny replies. He’s a little sorry their talk couldn’t go on longer. There’s something about McGarrett that makes him want to linger, to get to know a little more about this undeniably handsome Navy SEAL turned Five-0 member turned barkeep.

McGarrett shoves hard at the table as he stands, and hesitates before walking off. “Do it again sometime?” 

Danny can’t help the flurry of excitement he feels. “Yeah, that’d be great, McGarrett.”

“And Danno?”

Danny rolls his eyes at the nickname. “Yeah?”

“Call me Steve.”

*****  
It doesn’t take long before Danny decides to put his detective skills to work and find out what happened to McGarrett senior. He’s not the least bit repentant about it – after all, Steve’s dad was a member of the HPD. Danny owes it to him to know what happened (and owes it to himself to know what the hell the other cops are referring to the next time it comes up).

What he learns is downright shocking. Notorious big bad Victor Hesse took John McGarrett hostage and killed him when he didn’t get what he wanted from Steve. Steve was then granted immunity and means by Governor Jameson, which he used to investigate his father’s murder. Steve managed to kill Hesse, but was badly injured in the process. 

“Guess he couldn’t be a SEAL anymore,” Danny says to himself, reading an article which mentions Steve’s hospitalization and anticipated long recovery. 

He even finds a recent ad for the Shipwreck, noting that it’s now “under new management.” In Danny’s experience it’s not uncommon for cops and ex-military to open restaurants after they retire, although most of them go under pretty fast. And Steve clearly didn’t retire by choice. Maybe that’s why the guy seems so grumpy. 

Not that Danny’s one to talk – he’s been hard pressed to be happy about anything since moving to Oahu. But thinking about getting together with Steve again, even just for coffee… he has no idea why, but it’s making him downright giddy.

He runs into Kono one afternoon outside headquarters. He almost doesn’t recognize her in her uniform, but she yells his name across the parking lot and bounds over to say hello.

“You should come by the bar tonight after work,” she says.

“Steve hasn’t called me yet.” And it’s only been a few days, Danny doesn’t want to appear overeager.

“Oh, he’ll never call,” Kono says lightly.

Danny can’t help feeling hurt at this, but it must show on his face, because Kono hurries to explain.

“Not that he doesn’t want to see you – I know he does, believe me, he does – he’s just too nervous. You intimidate him.”

Danny huffs out a laugh. “Me, intimidate him? The big bad Navy SEAL? I very much doubt it.”

“The idea of you,” Kono says, tilting her head as she considers him. “He doesn’t make friends easily.”

“Right, that effortless charm is so off putting.”

Kono shrugs. “It’s your call. But I know he’s working tonight, and he’d be glad to see you. Very glad.” She looks Danny up and down. “And keep that shirt on, the blue really brings out your eyes.” Danny can’t help but blush as Kono walks away.

When Danny finishes work, he gets in his car and sighs. Is he really going to just waltz into the Shipwreck again, just to get another glimpse of Steve? What if Kono is just imagining things, and Steve would rather let a respectable amount of time go by before seeing Danny again? What if it’s like stalking, to show up at Steve’s place of work uninvited, where Steve can’t get away from him?

But then Danny considers his options – frozen pizza and another night in front of the television in his crappy apartment. He might as well stop by the Shipwreck first. If Steve isn’t receptive, the frozen pizza will still be there for him.

It’s the first time he’s been to the bar at night. The place is comfortably busy, a crowd at one end of the bar and most of the tables filled. Danny finds an empty seat at the bar next to a young couple. The guy looks decidedly tense, so much so that he’s practically clutching his beer bottle. You and me both, buddy, Danny thinks.

It takes a few minutes for him to spot Steve, but when he does, he actually relaxes. There’s something about Steve that inspires confidence, that feeling that you’re in good hands. He looks good behind the bar, wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, chatting easily with his customers. Kono said Steve was nervous too, but when Steve glances over at Danny, there’s no sign of it, just a quick smile that lights up his face.

Steve prepares a round of shots for the group at the other end of the bar, pouring them with a flourish. When he’s done, he comes over to Danny. “Can I get you a drink?”

It’s not as friendly a greeting as Danny would have liked. “Glad to see you too. Nice crowd here tonight.”

Steve snorts, a little embarrassed, perhaps, at his failure to acknowledge that Danny hasn’t just happened by for a beer. “It’ll be a little more manageable when Kono comes in.” He glances at his watch. “She should be here in twenty minutes or so, I could take a break then, if you wanted to, um, we could…?”

Maybe Steve _is_ nervous, Danny thinks, because he’s apparently unable to form complete sentences. “I’ll grab a table and get some dinner, I haven’t eaten yet. Come join me when you can, okay? No rush.”

Steve smiles, pleased at the invitation. “Okay, yeah. Great.” 

A teenager seats Danny in a booth on the other side of the room and hands him a menu. “How do you know Steve?” he asks, a stern look on his face. Apparently all of McGarrett’s staff are a tad protective of him.

“Through my kid,” Danny replies. “They do art together.”

The teenager looks baffled, and Danny winks at him. This doesn’t help, but it entertains Danny. Danny orders iced tea and a salad with blackened chicken, dressing on the side, and spares a moment to miss the metabolism he had in his twenties.

By the time Steve joins him, Danny has polished off his surprisingly tasty dinner, and is on his second beer. 

“Danny, you want anything else?” Steve asks. “We have some awesome pies.”

“Let me guess, macadamia and pineapple?”

Steve grins. “Not today. Apple or blueberry, I think.” He waves over the server. “Nahele, bring us each a slice of the apple pie, will you? And some coffee.”

“A little presumptuous, no? What if I was allergic to apples?”

“Are you?”

“No.”

“Well, then, if you don’t like it, don’t eat it. But I think you’ll like it.”

Steve settles himself in the booth, leaning his cane against the table. He catches Danny looking at it, and a flash of something dark moves across his face. 

“You want to talk about it?” Danny asks, certain that he doesn’t have to be any more specific.

Steve shrugs.

“I like this place,” Danny says, figuring the topic gives Steve the option of explaining how he got here, or talking about the décor. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Reminds me of home.” Danny runs a finger along the lamp on the table. The base has a wooden ship’s wheel on it and he turns it, clicking the light off and then on again. “I think I made something like this in seventh grade wood shop.”

Steve laughs. It’s a good laugh. “Me too.” 

“My sisters made fun of it. But I think my mom still has it.”

Steve’s face sobers, and Danny wonders if he poked a sore spot. “You close with your family?”

Danny nods. “They’re all back in Jersey, more or less. I miss them.” He shakes himself. “Can’t believe it, sometimes, that I’m so far away.” His throat tightens, and he’s glad for the interruption when the server returns with their coffee and pie. Steve doesn’t need to know how pathetically lonely Danny is for his ma’s cooking, for the noise and scuffle of all the nieces and nephews at Sunday dinner. For the friends he left behind when he followed his daughter halfway around the world.

When he looks up, Steve is taking a giant forkful of pie, and he tilts his head towards Danny’s slice. “Try it.”

It’s delicious, of course. After a few minutes of silence while they each inhale their dessert, Steve clears his throat and starts talking.

“This place belonged to a friend of my dad’s. He was going to run it after he retired, but then I fucked up my leg and he planted himself next to my hospital bed and started talking about inventory and marketing and the importance of a competent accountant. I don’t know how he convinced me to do it. Never had any interest in running a restaurant before. But he was persistent. I think he thought I was gonna just sit on my ass and pout for the rest of my life if he didn’t make me do something, you know?”

The image of Steve pouting isn’t really unpleasant, but that’s not the point of this conversation. “Were you?”

Steve shrugs. “Nah, not for the rest of my life. For a few months, maybe,” Steve says with a wry grin. “Until the dent I was making in the couch got noticeable.”

Danny watches Steve’s face, the way he glances up at Danny and then quickly away. He’s not comfortable talking about himself.

“I’ve been there,” Danny says quietly.

“Oh?”

“Not for the same reason. But when Rachel left me, and then announced she was taking Gracie a zillion miles away, well, that was a lot worse than when my I banged up my knee. My knee got better, for the most part, anyway.”

“What about the rest?”

Danny huffs and rubs his face. “Well, I only get to see Gracie every other weekend, and a few weeknights depending on my work schedule and Rachel’s whims, so no, that still sucks too.”

“No new girl?” 

“No new anybody.” Danny manages to throw the hint out there fairly smoothly, he thinks. “What about you? You got a special someone that comes in every night just to see your ugly mug?”

“Only you, Danno,” Steve says, a tentative smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. Danny quickly reaches for his coffee cup, hoping his inner glee isn’t too obviously reflected on his face.

After they finish eating, Steve has to go back to work, and Danny has an early shift the next day, so they part ways. 

“You going to call me this time, or will I have to casually stop by again?” Danny asks, emboldened by the success of the evening.

“You can stop by,” Steve teases. He hauls himself out of the booth, leaning heavily on his cane. “I’m not great at calling,” he says in a more serious tone, almost apologetic. “But I’m barbequing at my house on Saturday afternoon. You should come.”

“I’ve got Grace on Saturday,” Danny says immediately, unable to hide his disappointment.

“Bring her too.”

Danny stills, wondering if Steve is serious, when Kono appears at Steve’s shoulder.

“Brah, you’re terrible at this,” she says, shaking her head at Steve. She turns to Danny with a grin. “Steve’s house is right on the water. It’s got a great beach, and Grace can swim and play in the sand and help me with my sandcastles. We’ll have steaks and hot dogs and beer and probably some more of this awesome pie. What do you say?”

It’s not often that Danny gets to bring Grace somewhere that isn’t infested with tourists. And goddamn it, going to a barbeque with Steve and Kono sounds about a million times better than watching movies with Grace in his miniscule apartment.

“Okay.”

*****  
Saturday can’t come fast enough. When it does, Danny wants to knock his head against the wall, as he realizes that he doesn’t have a bathing suit and it’s far too late to do anything about it. Grace looks on curiously as he hacks a pair of jeans off above the knee, clearly not impressed.

Steve’s house is even nicer than Danny had imagined. Kono and her cousin Chin give them the grand tour, since Steve is busy at the grill. Grace is eager to go swimming, and after Danny learns that Kono was a champion surfboarder and probably as strong a swimmer as her ex-Navy SEAL boss, he relents and lets her take Grace down to the water. 

Danny trails along after them, not completely comfortable with letting Grace out of his sight while she’s swimming. Chin follows him, handing him a beer.

“How’s HPD treating you?” Chin asks. His tone is carefully neutral, but Danny has a feeling it’s a leading question.

“All right.” Danny takes a long sip of his beer. “Not the friendliest group, but…” he trails off. “I’m making it work.”

Chin nods. “I get it, believe me. They’ll warm up to you.” Chin doesn’t sound like he means it.

“You know this from personal experience?”

“No.”

When Chin doesn’t elaborate, Danny knows there’s a story there. “What do you do?”

“I’m on Five-0. Steve recruited me, after I got kicked off the force. HPD thought I was dirty.”

Well, there’s the story. “Were you?”

Chin looks impressed with Danny’s bluntness. “No. I don’t imagine Steve would have wanted me on board if I was.”

“Good enough for me.”

“It’s why we’re trying to get Kono on Five-0 too. She’s going to face a lot of trouble at HPD, because of me.”

“Maybe.” Danny looks over at Kono, who is animatedly explaining something to Grace. “I have a feeling she can take care of herself.”

Chin laughs. “That she can.”

Danny takes another long sip of his beer, and steps closer to the water, letting the little waves ripple up over his feet. It’s certainly beautiful here, and soothingly calm, not crowded and crazy like the beach at Waikiki. He turns to talk to Chin, wondering if saying he’d look out for Kono would be stating the obvious, but somehow Steve is standing there in his place.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself.”

“Come sit down,” Steve says, waving at two Adirondack style chairs a few feet away. “You’ll still be able to see Grace, I promise.”

Danny complies, and man, if this doesn’t feel good. He leans back against the sun-warmed wood, resting his beer on the flat armrest. The chair feels lived-in, comfortable, like it’s seen more sunsets on this beach than it could count. And he figures it has the added benefit of giving Steve’s leg a rest.

Danny is having trouble coming up with something to say to Steve, now that he’s here. He’d like to start up a clever conversation, anything to justify his presence. Steve is apparently comfortable with silence, and it goes on for several long, relaxing moments until Danny nearly breaks it with an appreciative and totally inappropriate noise when he glances over and sees that Steve has his head tilted up towards the sun, long eyelashes dark against his cheeks.

Kamekona and Nahele have apparently taken over the grill, and they bring trays of food down to the beach when it’s ready. Grace sits on Danny’s lap and feeds him chips and bites of her hot dog, and then scampers away to build a sand fort with Chin. 

Danny offers to help clean up, but Kamekona brushes him off as if he’s insulted, so Danny stays put. Steve rises with a stretch and launches himself into the water like a dolphin, ignoring entirely the rule about waiting to swim until after you digest your food. Danny assumes there’s some special rule for seals.

Danny’s on his third beer, listening to someone playing the ukulele, when he realizes that he hasn’t been this happy in a long time.

When Steve finishes his swim and comes up onto the beach, Danny has to force himself not to stare at the scandalous way the water runs down over his skin. It doesn’t help that Steve walks very slowly back to the chairs, presumably so that he doesn’t topple over, not to put on a slightly naughty show for his guest.

“Why are you doing this?” he asks Steve, who is rubbing his hair with a towel, making it stick up in all directions. It only enhances his ridiculous hotness, and Danny truly doesn’t quite understand what’s going on.

Steve looks at him, head cocked. “Doing what?”

“This.” Danny waves his hand, taking in the scene. “Inviting me over, including Grace. Being so… friendly.”

“What, you don’t want friends?”

It’s a dumb question, of course he wants friends, but it hasn’t really seemed like much of an option lately.

“Sure. I just don’t, you know.” Danny’s still waving his arms, and he can’t believe how pathetic he sounds. He’s about to excuse himself for any reason he can come up with when Steve responds, freezing him in place.

“Maybe I like you,” Steve says, his face twitching with amusement. He drags the towel over his bare chest, firm pecs on full display, and Danny feels his mouth go dry. Danny can tell that Steve can tell exactly how much Danny is enjoying the view, and Steve knows Danny knows, and Danny’s caught in a feedback loop of blatant appreciation for Steve’s body paired with embarrassment over his incredibly awkward crush. Danny feels like he’s about to explode.

Luckily for the situation in Danny’s lower region there’s an earblasting squeal and his precious little mood-ruiner comes running towards them, Kono on her heels. Steve automatically crouches down to greet Grace, and Danny is left reeling with the sudden understanding that he may have gotten in deeper with Steve McGarrett then he had realized.

“Have a good time swimming?” Steve asks, scooping Grace up with ease as if his bad leg was a figment of the imagination.

“The best!” Grace says, wrapping her skinny arms around his neck and launching into a description of exactly why Steve’s beach is superior to every other beach in Hawaii, and why today is her favorite day in the whole world. Danny’s pretty sure she speaks for them both.

*****  
Danny thinks back to that day at Steve’s over the next week, when a triple homicide at a five-star hotel keeps him far too busy for any social activities, regardless of whether there might be something developing between him and Steve.

Trying to stay awake on a stakeout one night Danny finds himself listing all the ways that letting himself fall for Steve could go wrong. It’s his usual modus operandi, only made more stubborn by his recent fail of a marriage. His sister would kick him for sketching out every detail of how something could fall apart before it even starts, but he can’t help it. It’s not in his DNA to be happy, to be open to it as a possibility.

There’s clearly a physical attraction, at least on Danny’s side, and probably Steve’s too – either that, or he’s a tease who’s just playing with Danny’s affections. Danny doesn’t think it’s the latter, but therein lies the problem – he doesn’t know Steve, not really, so how can he tell? Steve seems sincere enough, but he’s got that dark past vibe going on too, what with the murdered father and career-ending injury. 

Of course, everyone Steve surrounds himself with seems to think he’s the best thing since sliced bread, even his employees, and he is awfully good with Grace (who is an excellent judge of character).

Then there’s the whole – for lack of a better way to put it – gay thing. Danny’s moderately comfortable with his identity as a bi guy, but he hasn’t gotten close enough with anyone at HPD for it to have come up yet. And Danny’s already the useless haole no one really wants to partner with, he can only imagine how much more difficult that might be if he were dating a man. 

Plus he knows zip about Steve’s romantic interests. Steve’s been in the military for almost his entire adult life, though, and regardless of DADT’s repeal, the Navy doesn’t seem like a very LGBTQ-friendly place. Would Steve even want a relationship with Danny? 

Just as Danny is spiraling down into an internal rant about how hard it would be to date someone who was in the closet, the perp he’s watching for sneaks out a side door of the house and Danny’s mind refocuses on his job. There’ll be plenty of time to angst about his love life (or lack thereof) later.

*****  
Later comes sooner than Danny had expected. He wraps up the triple homicide somewhere around 3:00 a.m. and then drags himself home and sleeps for eight hours. He goes back to work and pushes paper around his desk for a while, until his captain takes pity on him and tells him to take off early. Danny is all too glad to oblige.

He goes back home and spends some time tinkering with his car– it’s his pride and joy, an almost-new silver Camaro LT that he bought in an effort to cheer himself up after coming to Hawaii. But his thoughts keep straying to Steve, and whether stopping by the Shipwreck tonight would be a good idea or a harebrained one. Finally he gets tired of navel gazing and decides that he might as well go, since if he doesn’t he’s likely to end up jerking off to thoughts of Steve, and then he’ll be even more uncomfortable the next time he sees him.

Of course he can’t very well go all sweaty and with grease under his fingernails, so he showers, messes around filing his nails and then buffing them a little with a bright pink thing Grace left in his bathroom, and gives himself a nice close shave. He puts on one of his favorite blue shirts – no tie, he’s not on duty – and a pair of soft but well-fitting jeans, and sighs at himself in the mirror. “Only you, Danno, would spend an hour and a half getting ready for an imaginary date.”

The Shipwreck is hopping when he arrives. It’s apparently open mic night. The tables are rearranged to open up a space near the back where a very large man is playing a very tiny ukulele. Danny finds a seat off to the side and nearly jumps out of his skin when Kamekona sits down next to him.

“Hey there, little brah. You come to see my cousin perform?”

“That’s your cousin?” 

“Sure, that’s Flippa. Plays a mean uke.” Kamekona leans back in his chair and closes his eyes, apparently listening intently. 

Danny glances around the bar. He doesn’t see Steve anywhere, but he figures he’ll turn up soon. Flippa finishes up a reggae song that Danny doesn’t recognize, and then starts a modernized version of an old classic. Danny tries not to groan to himself, it’s so on the nose… “Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Not that he has any illusions about love. Love hasn’t been easy for Danny, and he’s not all that interested in getting entangled in anything that complicated. But he’s definitely falling in… something, where Steve is concerned. He shakes his head at himself as Flippa croons on. “Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be…” 

“Danny, hi!” Steve drops down into the seat opposite Kamekona, who is still doing his imitation of a blissed out whale. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

“Finished a case, and needed a break,” Danny says, hoping his words don’t sound as lame to Steve as they do to him.

“Well,” Steve says, with a barely perceptible stutter, “I’m glad you’re here.”

So far, so good, Danny thinks, as he feels his smile stretch his face. Steve sits with him through the rest of Flippa’s set, calling Nahele over to bring them each a beer, and shooting pleased-looking glances at Danny often enough to keep Danny on the edge of his seat. At one point Steve scoots his chair closer to Danny and leans in, whispering in his ear about how nervous Flippa was when he first started playing for an audience. Steve’s breath is warm on Danny’s neck, and when Danny whispers back he has to resist the urge to slide just a little closer and brush his lips across Steve’s skin.

All too soon the next singer comes to the mic, and Steve has to excuse himself to get back to the bar.

“How long can you stay?” Steve asks, tossing his cane back and forth between his hands, hip cocked against the table. “I can stop by again later.”

Danny has no intention of leaving. And as an added benefit, the current musician has a fairly traditional rock and roll vibe, which always works for Danny. “I’ll be here.”

He orders a burger and fries, and another beer, and settles in. Kamekona had wandered off when Flippa finished playing, and the group at the next table over snagged his chair. They’re actually getting a little loud, in Danny’s opinion. Not that being loud at a bar is out of place, but they should show the performer a little respect. Open mics aren’t for everyone, he gets that, but there’s no cause to be uncivilized.

He can’t help overhearing the conversation, which is rapidly turning into an argument. Apparently the guy in the leather jacket doesn’t want the girl with the red hair to sing some song that she’s adamant about singing. It seems like a ridiculous fight to be having, but then again, most of the arguments Danny had with Rachel were ridiculous. Who forgot to go to the store, who never picks up the mail, who passive-aggressively keeps leaving the toilet paper with just a tiny bit left so that they’re not the person who has to replace it? 

Danny’s starting to wonder if he’s going to have to break up a fight between leather jacket guy and red haired girl. He looks around to see if he can catch Steve’s attention, and his eyes sweep over the guests at the bar just in time to see a tall man with a bad crew cut swipe a woman’s pocketbook off the back of her chair.

Danny’s up and out of his seat before he even thinks about it. “Um, excuse me there, fella, you want to tell me what you’re doing with that lovely ivory number? ‘Cause I don’t think it matches your shoes.”

The man scowls at Danny. “Fuck off.”

The woman doesn’t seem to have noticed that her purse is missing, and Danny would like to avoid making a scene. “HPD.” He flashes his badge. “Just hand it over, please, there’s no need-”

The man gives Danny a hard shove and high-tails it towards the back of the bar. Danny races after him, close on his heels. He follows him down the hallway past the bathrooms and out a door that opens onto an alley, yelling for him to stop.

As they veer around a corner Danny launches himself at the man, bringing him down but landing hard against a dumpster. The man struggles to his feet before Danny and they exchange blows too many times for Danny’s comfort before Danny finally subdues him. As he pulls out a zip tie from his pocket and secures the perp he sees another man coming for him.

Things go a little sideways for a moment as Danny is knocked across the alley and the newcomer rushes him, but then someone kicks out and sends the attacker flying. By the time Danny sits up, Steve is at his side, grasping him hard by the shoulders.

“Danny, you all right?”

“Steve?”

Steve takes Danny’s head in his hands, and turns it carefully back and forth. “He didn’t get you?” There’s tension in Steve’s voice.

“Get me? He got me good, but-” Danny sees the long knife on the ground, next to the second man, who appears to be unconscious, and puts two and two together. The man was coming after Danny with a deadly weapon, and Steve intervened just in time. “I’m not cut,” he assures Steve. “He didn’t touch me.”

Steve leans back on his heels, letting out an audible breath. 

“What are you doing out here, anyway? Are you nuts? You can’t…” Danny waves his hand in the approximate direction of Steve’s leg. He’s aware he isn’t making a lot of sense, but from the way Steve grimaces, he figures his meaning came across.

“Adrenaline.” Steve sits down hard on his ass. He stretches his legs out in front of him and rubs hard at his right thigh. “I’ll be feeling it later.”

“You’re kind of a crazy person, aren’t you?” Danny really can’t understand how Steve physically did what he just did, not from what he’s heard about Steve’s injury.

“I saw you head after that guy, and then the second one followed… I’ve seen them around before, always struck me wrong. What else was I supposed to do?”

Kamekona ambles over and informs them that HPD is on its way, and offers to babysit the two perps in the meantime. The owner of the snatched pocketbook is with him. She’s effusive in her thanks, but Danny’s head is throbbing and he can barely listen to her explanation of how much his help means to her. He’s glad she didn’t lose her lucky pink plumeria keychain, sure, but if she likes it that much, she shouldn’t keep it in a bag hanging off the back of a bar stool.

“Hey, let’s get you inside,” Steve says, nodding back towards the Shipwreck. “I’ve got an ice pack with your name on it.”

Steve is limping hard as they head back down the alley, and Danny doesn’t think before he slides in next to him and puts an arm around his waist. Steve grabs him around the shoulders, sighing a little with relief, and they shuffle their way inside.

Steve shows him to the small office in the back, and sits him down in an old desk chair. Soon Danny’s pressing a blessedly cold bag of ice to the side of his head, and Steve has flopped down on a leather sofa that has seen better days.

Sergeant Lukela sticks his head in the door. “We’re bringing these two back to the precinct. I’ll send Pua in to take your statements.”

“Thanks, Duke,” Steve says.

“You were supposed to stay out of trouble, McGarrett,” Duke replies. “Not make more.”

“See,” Danny mumbles, “crazy person.” Duke gives Steve a friendly pat on the shoulder and leaves the room. “Seems like you know him pretty well?”

Steve shrugs. “Duke’s a friend of the family. Worked together with him on Five-0.”

Danny has wondered about how much action Steve saw here on Oahu during his stint working for the governor. “How long were you on the taskforce?”

“Just a few months. Technically I’m still on it, just on medical leave. I’ll keep the immunity and means as long as I can.” Steve shifts on the couch, wincing as he moves his leg to a more comfortable position. “You know, you didn’t have to go racing after that guy on your night off.”

“And you didn’t have to risk life and limb to follow me.”

“Touché.” Steve rubs a hand hard against his thigh, and looks up at Danny with a smirk. “I was impressed, though. You’re speedy.”

“What, for a little guy?”

Steve grins. “Maybe.”

Danny huffs in mock annoyance. “These Hawaiian perps aren’t doing themselves any favors wearing flip-flops, though. You’d think common sense would win out eventually.”

“Slippahs, Danny. Slippahs.”

“Tomato, tomahto, they don’t even attach properly to your feet. They’re beach shoes, designed explicitly to come off easily. Why on earth would some idiot wear them if he’s planning a quick getaway? The sun out here must be baking these guys’ brains.”

Danny realizes he’s been waving his hands, the bag of ice no longer pressing against his head, and sighs.

Steve snorts at him.

“What?”

“You’re cute when you rant.”

“Glad I amuse you.”

“You do,” Steve agrees with a soft smile.

Danny’s not sure how to take that. It seems positive. He’ll go with positive.

“Thanks, by the way. Mighta been in trouble if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” Danny rubs his neck and doesn’t think about how much damage a knife to his throat could have done. 

“Nah, you would have been fine,” Steve says, but he’s got that pleased look in his eyes again, and Danny can’t help but smile. Maybe the night hasn’t been a complete disaster after all.

*****  
Danny has Grace over the weekend, and they have a great time playing mini-golf and perfecting their chocolate chip cookie recipe (they put in mini M&M’s in addition to white and chocolate chips, and they both agree it’s their best work yet). He takes her to her ballet lesson on Sunday afternoon, and as he’s killing time in the foyer with the other parents waiting to pick up their kids, he wonders if it’s too soon to stop by the Shipwreck again.

Before he can make up his mind, he’s drawn into an argument with Rachel who shows up to get Grace – three hours too soon, that was _not_ their agreement – and by the time Rachel stalks off with Grace, Danny’s no longer in the mood to do anything but sit on his couch and sulk. 

Monday afternoon he catches a case, and it keeps him busy through Tuesday, but by then he is buzzing with the need to see Steve again. He stops by right after work, hoping maybe he can get Steve to take a break and sit down with him for dinner. He might even suggest that they go down the block to an Italian place he’s had his eye on.

Kono is behind the bar, her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. She looks even slimmer than usual in a tiny white t-shirt with a “Shipwreck Bar and Grill” logo on the front.

“I like your shirt,” Danny says, perching on a stool.

“Hey, Danny.” Kono turns to him. “Thanks, they just came in. Kamekona says it’s part of building our brand.”

There’s something odd in Kono’s tone, and Danny doesn’t think it’s about her t-shirt. “Is Steve around?”

Kono frowns at him. “You haven’t talked to him?”

“I just got here, I haven’t talked to anyone but you.” Danny waves his hand, sketching his direct path from the door to the bar. He’s getting a bad feeling about this. “What’s going on?”

Kono puts down the glass she was wiping and comes closer. “Steve’s okay, but… he’s in the hospital.”

“What?” Danny’s stomach tightens. “Is he hurt? What happened?”

Kono bites her lip. “I can’t believe he didn’t call you.”

“Well, he didn’t. Tell me what’s going on.” Danny pushes down his panic. It can’t be that bad, or Kono wouldn’t be standing here serving umbrella drinks to sunburned tourists.

“That night, after you left, Steve fell down the stairs.”

Danny glances around. No stairs. “Where, exactly?”

“At his house. I guess he hurt his leg more than he thought, running after the purse-snatcher. He got up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, and he fell. Re-injured the muscles in his leg, banged up his shoulder.”

“He fell down the stairs in his own house?”

Kono nods. “He’s pretty upset about it.”

And no doubt embarrassed. Not exactly the kind of accident a Navy SEAL wants to own up to.

“I can’t believe he didn’t call you, though. Kinda thought you guys were…” Kono trails off, looking questioningly at Danny.

“Yeah, me too.” There’s no point in denying it, Kono can read him like a book anyway. Danny slides off the stool. “So, which hospital?”

*****

Danny stands in the doorway to Steve’s room. He’s lying on his back, left arm in a sling, the sheet pulled up partway over his bare chest. 

“Knock knock,” Danny says as he raps lightly on the doorframe. “Anybody home?”

Steve shifts his glance from the ceiling to Danny and glares at him, then looks back at the ceiling.

“All right if I come in?”

No answer. Danny really wants to move closer – all right, really close, take the poor guy in his arms and tell him everything will be okay – but he’s not about to corner Steve in his hospital room against his wishes.

“Would you rather I leave? Because I get it, you’re not exactly in the mood to entertain. I’m not expecting the good china or anything, don’t worry.”

There’s a pause, and Steve looks over at Danny, a wary look on his face. “Suit yourself.”

It’s not exactly an engraved invitation, but he’ll take it.

Danny pulls a plastic chair up next to the bed. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like crap.”

Danny nods. “Yeah, hospitals suck.”

Steve huffs in agreement. “They won’t even give me the good jello.” He waves his hand at the half-eaten lunch tray, an uneaten yellow jello cup among the detritus. Danny has to agree, yellow jello is not particularly appetizing.

“I’m really sorry about all this,” Danny says. “I can’t help but feel that it’s somehow my fault, that if I hadn’t gone after the purse-snatcher, you wouldn’t be here.” It’s been bothering him ever since Kono told him that Steve fell. He hates to be the one responsible for making Steve’s life more difficult.

“That’s bullshit. It’s my own fault, and fucking Victor Hesse.”

“It’s clearly not your fault, you didn’t ask for this.” Steve doesn’t respond. “So… Hesse… he’s the one who-” Danny waves a hand at Steve’s leg.

“Yup. Stabbed me, cut me up bad. And that was after he murdered my father.”

Okay, so Steve is definitely in a dark mood. But Danny can deal with this. He’s been on the force for a long time, he’s seen what years of exposure to violence can do to a person. Steve may be in a category all his own, but he’s still not scaring Danny away.

“I’ve got Netflix,” Danny says, ignoring the non sequitur and turning to pull his laptop out of his bag. “Want to watch something?”

Steve narrows his eyes at Danny, but it’s not particularly effective.

Danny clears off the rolling table and pulls it closer, over Steve’s lap, and then sets his laptop up. “I was thinking Friends. Light, funny, no bullets or bad guys.”

“Friends? Really?”

“Sure. All-purpose entertainment.” Danny’s actually been re-watching it with Grace. It’s awesome, and far better than watching Disney all day long. “You must have watched Friends at some point in your life. Come on, pick a favorite episode.”

“Mary loves Friends.”

“Mary?”

“My sister.”

Interesting. “Well, then, let’s watch it. It’ll give you something to talk about next time you see her.”

“We aren’t close.”

“Do you want to be?” Danny regrets the words as soon as they pop out of his mouth. He was supposed to be keeping this light, not annoying Steve further. But while Steve looks surprised at the question, he doesn’t seem upset.

“My dad separated us when we were teenagers, sent us both to the mainland after my mother died. So I’m not even sure what she’s like. But yeah, I wish we were closer.”

“Family’s tough.”

Steve huffs, not even deigning that platitude with a response.

Danny pulls up an article claiming to rate the top twenty Friends episodes, and after way too much time spent trying to explain things to Steve, he plays an early one to give Steve an introduction to the characters, and then the one where Ross is upset about someone eating his Thanksgiving sandwich. Danny loves the Thanksgiving episodes. He might play the football one next.

Before the second episode is even halfway through, Danny glances over at Steve and finds that he is fast asleep. 

“Poor guy,” Danny thinks again, gathering up his belongings as quietly as he can. Steve’s got to be really out of it to just drop off with Danny there. Who knows, maybe it’s a good sign.

*****  
Later that night, Danny’s phone pings with a text.

_sry I fell asleep on you_

It’s the first text Danny has ever received from Steve. He can’t help but be pleased. He wasn’t sure if their relationship would ever progress past Danny stopping by the Shipwreck and hoping Steve could spare him a minute.

_Don’t worry about it._

_i rly appreciate you comin by_

Okay, Steve texts like a middle schooler, but that’s fine. One of his arms is in a sling, anyway.

_My pleasure. Maybe next time you’ll have a better jello flavor to share._

_u don’t have 2 come again_

_It’s no hardship._

_honestly Dany u don’t have 2_

This guy. Danny sighs.

 _Do you not want me to come?_ He’s getting déjà vu.

This time Steve takes longer to respond.

 _I’m not really very good company._

_How about you let me be the judge of that?_

Another long pause. Maybe Steve’s working on his spelling.

_You don’t like people telling you what to do, do you?_

Danny laughs down at his phone. _No, my friend, I do not._

*****  
After work the next day Danny heads over to the hospital again. This time, in addition to his laptop, he’s got a tupperware container filled with fresh cut fruit – fruit that Danny purchased and cut up himself. He’s not about to let it be said that he couldn’t take a hint – malasadas might be good for an occasional treat, but Steve clearly isn’t the junk food eating type.

When he gets to Steve’s room, there’s a nurse just finishing up. Danny nods to him as he enters. 

“They’re letting me out tomorrow,” Steve says as Danny pulls up a chair.

“That’s awesome.” Danny quickly leans down and brushes a light kiss along Steve’s cheek. It’s the type of kiss one might use when greeting a good friend – if one were so inclined. It’s open for interpretation. “Hey. So you must be feeling better.”

Danny can see Steve’s brain rushing to process this, and just as Danny had hoped, he doesn’t let the almost-kiss phase him and moves right to answering Danny’s question.

“Yeah, actually. They took the sling off, and it hardly hurts at all.” Steve moves his arm cautiously to demonstrate. “Leg’s still fucked up, but that’s nothing new.”

“I brought you a snack.”

The look on Steve’s face when Danny opens the container of strawberries and pineapple makes his early morning project worthwhile. 

“Danny, this is very thoughtful.” Steve’s eyes flash up to his, his expression a blend of surprise and pleasure. “I haven’t had decent food in days.” Steve plucks a strawberry out of the tub and pops it in his mouth. “I thought you hated pineapple?” he asks, still chewing.

Danny shrugs. “Turns out the fresh stuff is pretty amazing. Still doesn’t mean it needs to be everywhere.”

The nurse comes back in, and Danny moves out of the way while Steve answers some more questions. It’s a little awkward, but not too bad, and Danny isn’t about to cut short his visit just because they want to take another blood test.

When they’re alone again Danny takes out his laptop, and they watch another Friends episode. Just like the day before, the television lulls Steve into sleep. Danny can’t help but grin as he gathers up his things and quietly exits the room. Lying there with his eyes closed, one hand tucked up under his cheek, Steve McGarrett is fucking adorable.

*****  
The next day Danny shows up at the hospital ready to play chauffeur, and finds Kono in the lobby, pacing and looking anxious.

“Danny! Thank god, you’re here.”

“Kono? What’s up?”

Kono rubs her face and takes in a deep breath, her hands going to her hips. “Steve’s going into surgery again.”

That can’t be good. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. Something about an infection, I guess his leg swelled up during the night.” She shakes her head. “Steve must be so pissed. Every time they have to operate again, cut into the muscle, his leg gets worse.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“They won’t let me.” Kono paces again, her hands fluttering as she turns back to Danny. “I, I have to go. I can’t miss my shift, there’s not much time left before graduation…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Danny steps closer to her and puts his hands on her shoulders. Kono is tall and strong, but right now she seems ready to collapse.

“He doesn’t have anyone, Danny,” she says softly, her voice full of sorrow.

“He’s got you, and Chin,” Danny says. “And me.”

She looks up at him, eyes blinking. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Danny does a quick mental inventory of his schedule for the day, which he had already pretty much cleared, hoping it would involve taking Steve home and cooking him a nice meal of spaghetti and meatballs to erase the memory of bland hospital food, or something else embarrassingly domestic. “I’ll stay here at the hospital. You go.”

“Danny, are you sure?”

He straightens his shoulders, giving her as confident a look as he can manage. “I’m sure. Go serve and protect. Try not to shoot anyone, that gives rookies a bad name.”

Kono glances around the room, as if she might catch a final glimpse of Steve. “Okay.” She lets out a long breath, then heads for the door, turning back one last time. “You’re a good friend, Danny.”

“Go. I’ll text you as soon as there’s news.”

After Kono leaves, Danny spends a moment or two considering his approach. He buys a coffee with cream and sugar from the little refreshment shop near the entrance, then walks past the reception desk and towards the patient rooms, as if he had no idea that normal visiting hours don’t apply to Steve today. He gets pretty close to Steve’s room, when a nurse wearing pink scrubs and a tired expression stops him.

Luckily Danny recognizes her from yesterday, when they had an extended conversation about her daughter, who happens to teach at Grace’s school. 

“Kalani, hi,” he says, holding out the cup of coffee. “We met yesterday – I’m Danny Williams, Grace’s dad. Thought you might like this.”

Kalani gives him a look that says she sees right through him, but takes the coffee regardless. 

“Any chance I can get in to see Steve? I promise I’ll be quick.”

“He’s going into surgery soon,” Kalani says. “The resident is with him. No visitors right now.”

“Come on, just for a minute. Please?”

Kalani takes a sip of the coffee and then looks up at him. “You’re shameless, aren’t you?”

“You know Steve. He’s probably beyond grumpy. Let me distract him for you.”

“I’m sorry, I really can’t let you in there. Commander McGarrett has already been given some medication to help him relax, he’s not in any state to have visitors.”

Danny has to hand it to Kalani for standing her ground. He’s not going to win this one. “Would you at least tell him I’m here? I’ll be in the waiting room until he’s done.”

Kalani nods. “I will.”

As she turns to go, Danny remembers Kono’s words. “Kalani, he doesn’t have any family on the island.” And he’s got to be scared, and upset, and working furiously not to let anyone know.

Kalani takes his hand and gives it a squeeze. Maybe Danny’s a little scared, too. “Don’t worry, he’s going to be fine. And I’ll make sure he knows that you’re here. Now let me go do my job.” She hands the half-empty coffee cup back to Danny and points him towards the waiting room.

It’s almost four hours later when a doctor lets him know that Steve is out of surgery, and another two before they tell Danny he can see Steve. He had to wait until Steve was back in his room, because Danny isn’t family.

Danny pauses in the doorway. He’s waited around all day to do this, to be here for Steve, but he’s struck with a sudden case of nerves. Steve barely tolerated him hanging around when he felt decent, after his first surgery, what if he doesn’t want him here at all?

Taking a deep breath, Danny hikes up his slacks, makes sure there aren’t any crumbs on his shirt from the stale muffin he ate, and goes into the room.

Steve is lying still, head turned away from Danny, and he barely moves as Danny approaches.

“Hey,” Danny says quietly. “How’re you feeling?”  
Steve turns towards him slowly. His face is pale, and there are deep bags under his eyes. “I’ve been better,” he croaks out.

“Can I get you anything?” Danny hovers next to the bed, wondering if there are ice chips anywhere. On television, people in hospitals always get ice chips.

“Nah, I’m good.” Steve grimaces after he says this, apparently not agreeing with his own statement.

Danny finds the ass-numbing chair from the day before and sits down, pulling it a little closer to the bed. “Everything go okay? Kalani is a sweetheart, but she really didn’t tell me much.”

Steve stares up at the ceiling. “It’s fine.”

Okay, so Steve’s back to stoic mode. Danny can handle this. He lets out a long breath, and sits quietly for a little bit, hoping Steve will say something else. But he doesn’t.

“You can talk to me, you know,” Danny says, trying for an off-hand, casual tone. “I know this sucks for you. Just when you thought you were making progress, you get injured again. But you don’t seem like the kind of guy who gives up easily, and I know you can-”

“You should go,” Steve says abruptly.

“I – what?” 

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this. You should go.”

“Wait, we don’t have to talk about it, I just thought-” Danny stands, his heart pounding.

“I can’t do this,” Steve repeats. “It’s not your fault. There’s just no point.” Steve turns his face towards Danny, but there’s nothing there. He’s shuttered, closed for business, no hint of emotion showing. “Please, go.”

Danny struggles to come up with something else to say, but for once he’s speechless. So he goes.

*****  
That evening passes in a haze. Kono calls him several times, but he doesn’t pick up. She tells him that she and Chin are visiting Steve at the hospital the next day, and he briefly considers stopping by on his lunch break, but then he sees Steve’s face, cold and determined, and hears his voice. _I can’t do this. Please go._

Steve’s made up his mind, and Danny has to accept it. He did just fine before he got wound up in Steve’s messy life, he’ll do just fine now. He pushes aside the pain and concentrates on his job, throws himself into a thorny case that no one else wants, and tries not to think about what might have been.

Of course, his efforts aren’t particularly successful, especially by Friday night when Rachel yet again screws up his plans with Grace. He had tickets to take her to see a high school production of Beauty and the Beast (“can’t you take her next weekend, Danny?” “No, see, they’re only doing it this weekend, this weekend that you promised I could have Grace”) and after work Danny winds up walking towards the Shipwreck, alone, in the dark.

He doesn’t even realize where he’s going until he’s standing in front of the door, staring inside, hoping for a glimpse of Steve. What an idiot you are, he thinks to himself, turning on his heel and rapidly crossing the street. There are plenty of other bars in Honolulu. No need to go where you’re not welcome.

Danny goes into the first bar he finds, and plants himself at a table in the back. There’s bluesy music playing, just right for his current mood. He orders a whiskey and tells himself he’s not going to get drunk, at least not too drunk.

Another song comes on, and the coincidence is ridiculous. As Tom Waits rasps at him, Danny thumps his forehead against the sticky table.

_Well I hope that I don't fall in love with you_  
'Cause falling in love just makes me blue  
The music plays and you display  
Your heart for me to see  
I had a beer and now I hear you  
Calling out for me  
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you. 

“Kinda dramatic, no?”

Danny sits up so fast his head spins, and he can’t even blame the whiskey. “Steve?”

Steve gives him a “duh” look and eases himself carefully into the chair next to Danny, leaning his cane against the table. “Kono saw you lurking outside our door. I’m a little insulted that you’re drinking here instead.” 

“That’s hardly fair,” Danny says, still a little stunned. “Not after what you said…”

Steve rubs his face and looks chagrined. “I could blame the painkillers, but that’d be lying. I’m sorry, Danny.”

“You’re sorry?”

“Yeah. I, uh, I’m not great with stuff like this.”

The panicky feeling in Danny’s stomach is easing, and he relaxes enough to see that there might be light at the end of this incredibly awkward tunnel. Light which Steve might actually shed on the situation. “Stuff like what, exactly?”

Steve fixes Danny with a serious look, his eyes wide. “Feelings. Relationships. All of it.”

“So you do have… feelings… for me?” Feelings about a potential _relationship_?

Steve huffs, his cheeks turning pink. “I do.”

Danny guesses his ears are just as pink. “Well, good, okay. Good. That’s good.”

Steve smirks. “Glad my emotional state meets with your approval.” He sighs and leans on the table, pushing himself upright. “Hey, um, my timing is crappy, though, because my leg is on fire, I’m overdue for another pill, and then I’m going to go pass out on the couch. Any chance you’re free on Sunday?”

Danny stares up at Steve, and then stands and steps towards him. He can feel the warmth of Steve’s body and as soon as he does, Danny wants more. He moves in closer, eyes fixed on Steve’s. Steve rolls his eyes a little and leans in, brushing their shoulders together and smiling softly. Danny blinks hard, and remembers that he still hasn’t responded to Steve’s question.

“Are you asking me out, Steven?”

“Yes, I’m asking you out.” 

Danny tilts his head up, and Steve grins down at him, and for an instant Danny thinks he’s going to get the kiss he’s been aching for, but then Steve steps backwards, still grinning.

“See you Sunday?” 

“See you Sunday.” 

That bastard, Danny thinks fondly, downing the rest of his whiskey. But his mood is light as he calls a cab and heads home. He’s got a date with Steve, and for a moment, at least, all is right with the world.

*****

“So where are we going?” Danny asks. They’re in Steve’s truck, despite Steve having cast a loving look at Danny’s Camaro as they pulled away. Danny files this information away for next time.

“Pali Lookout.” Steve spares a quick glance over to Danny. “Have you been there?”

“No, I have not.”

Steve nods. “Good. You’ll like it.”

Danny certainly enjoys the drive up Pali Highway, the city dropping away as they wind up through the forest. When they arrive in a small parking lot, Steve shuts off the car, and then turns to Danny. “Be prepared. It can be a little windy.”

Danny quickly discovers that Steve was not kidding. The view from the lookout is spectacular, but the gusting wind pushes hard at them as they gaze out over the cliffs. The coastline stretches out about a thousand feet below them, and the mountain peaks off to the side are shrouded by clouds. Steve positions himself tight against Danny, one arm around Danny’s shoulders while he shouts into his ear and points out the sights.

They walk around in front of the wall, down to the lower viewing level, Danny sliding his arm around Steve’s waist as they sway in the wind.

“There was a battle here in 1795,” Steve says, his breath warm on Danny’s neck. King Kamehameha I won, uniting Oahu under his rule. They say hundreds of soldiers died as they were forced off the cliffs.”

“Nice,” Danny says, making Steve grin. They lean against each other for a few more minutes, looking out over the lush coast and listening to the wind whistle through the mountains. Danny knows his hair must be going crazy, but he’s content to stand here with Steve pressed up against his side for as long as he’ll let him.

When the make their way back behind the stone wall guarding the overlook, Steve slides down to sit on the ground, and Danny goes with him. They’re protected from the wind now, and it’s almost quiet in contrast.

“There was another place I wanted to take you.” There’s more than a hint of sadness in Steve’s voice. “My dad and I used to go. It was our favorite hike, across the most beautiful valley. I wanted to show you the petroglyphs.” Steve ducks his head, apparently embarrassed at himself. “But I can’t do that kind of hike anymore. So, here we are.”

“This place is amazing, Steve,” Danny says. What he means is _you_ are amazing, but he can’t quite get the words out. He wants to show him how he feels, wants to wrap him up in his arms and never let go. He glances around - they’re almost alone here, just a few other tourists fully occupied with the view and clutching their hats and trying not to get blown away, so he rests a hand on Steve’s thigh. He’s still not clear on how Steve feels about being out, but Steve doesn’t move away, so he figures it’s okay. “This was a perfect place to take me. It’s beautiful.”

Steve closes his eyes, and he seems to be steeling himself for something. “For years, I told myself I wasn’t gay. I tried to believe it.” Steve opens his eyes and turns to Danny. “I wanted a career in the military. I… needed it. My mom was gone, my dad sent me away. As soon as I had a taste, I thought I had found my home. I couldn’t risk it.”

The grief in Steve’s eyes is as deep as the ocean he loves so much, and Danny has the fleeting thought that the smart thing to do would be to flee, to get away before he drowns in this beautiful, broken man. He can’t do it, though. No fucking way.

“I understand.” And he does. But he’s still not sure what it means. “So… what now?” Danny asks, as gently as he can.

“Now I’m a middle aged guy with a bum leg, no career and no family who spent most of his life too afraid to love anybody.” Steve swallows hard, a hint of nervousness in his voice. “I’m not exactly a catch.”

Danny resists the urge to laugh at this, because for all his issues, Steve is still, without question, the catch of Danny’s life. And he’s not going to let go.

“Babe, I could spend the next hour arguing with you about that, because you’re dead wrong about all of it, except the leg, I guess, but that’s beside the point. But I think I’d rather just…” Danny hesitates as he looks up at Steve, hoping for a sign that he’s moving in the right direction.

“You’d rather…?” Steve asks, his voice rising and his eyes finally getting back their sparkle. Steve’s hand flutters up and lands awkwardly on Danny’s arm, and that’s all the encouragement he needs.

“Do this.” Danny presses a soft kiss to Steve’s mouth and holds himself there for a moment until Steve starts kissing back. Steve’s lips are warm and chapped and the kiss only lasts a few seconds, but it’s the best thing Danny’s felt in a long time.

When Danny leans back, Steve gives him a soft grin and presses in to do it again. It’s even better this time, and soon Danny’s mouth is parting, and Steve’s tongue is everywhere, and his whole body is lighting up inside. Steve’s got one hand behind Danny’s head, holding him close, and it’s fantastic. 

There’s a sudden noise from the parking lot that cuts through the wind, a car starting up and squealing away, and they break apart. Danny blinks up at Steve and is rewarded with a pleased grin.

“You’re a little proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Danny’s asks, finding Steve’s hand with his own and giving it a squeeze.

“Maybe,” Steve says. He’s kind of bashful about it, and Danny shouldn’t find this as cute as he does. 

“You’re adorable,” he says, reaching up to run his fingers through Steve’s windblown hair.

“Hey,” Steve protests, but the smile is still there. 

It stays there through their lunch at a food truck which serves the best poke Danny’s ever had, and all the way back to Danny’s house, Steve grinning at him every time he glances over, making jokes about Danny’s crazy hair, and his distaste for the music Steve plays on the radio, and his aversion to sand. 

Steve’s happy, and Danny thinks even if they never go on another date, it would be worth it to have seen Steve smile this way.

As they pull up to Danny’s apartment, Danny lets out a long sigh, and Steve shoots him a concerned look.

Danny shakes his head. “It’s nothing. Just wish you didn’t have to go.” It’s possibly the sappiest thing Danny has ever said to someone other than Grace, and he wants to kick himself for it. But Steve beams, so it’s not a total loss.

“I’ve got to go to work,” Steve says. “And Grace is coming over, right?”

“Right.” Still, Danny hates to leave Steve now, right when everything is going so well. Danny stretches over the console and grabs Steve by the arm, pulling him close enough for a deep kiss that hopefully leaves him wanting more.

“See you soon?” Steve says when Danny pulls back, his lips red and his breath coming fast.

“Yes. Tomorrow?” Danny is frankly delighted at the effect his kiss has had on Steve, and he doesn’t want to wait any longer than necessary to find out what else will make Steve look like that.

Steve nods, apparently just as determined to let as little time go by as possible before they get together again. Danny wants to cheer, because it seems like he and Steve are finally on the same wonderful page. 

“Tomorrow.”


End file.
